Srilanka, Feb. 13 -- The recent discourse surrounding the arrival of over 100 Rohingya refugees in Sri Lanka in December 2024 has been fraught with statements that they are victims of human trafficking, or they are illegal immigrants and hence are at risk of deportation. However, the testimonies of the Rohingya themselves paint a different picture-one of innocent people whose lives were in grave danger in Myanmar's Arakan Province. With no other choice, they entrusted their fate to rickety boats and treacherous waters, clinging to a fragile hope for survival.

In a discussion held on January 27, organised by the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR) and the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, Rohingya political activist and Co-Founder of Free R...